Health providers receive help repaying student loans

Health care providers struggling to repay their student loans have the chance to get some federal and state money to help repay their debt. The caveat is that they have to work in underserved regions in Alaska where health care professionals are in short supply.The Department of Health and Social Services awarded its first grants under a program that is aimed to help recruit and retain health care providers in the medical, dental and behavioral health field.

The grants were worth more than $730,000 and were awarded to 14 health practioners statewide, including a loan repayment awarded to a dental provider at the Sunshine Community Health Center in Talkeetna.

According to program manager Robert Sewell, the “Supporting Health Care Access Through Loan Repayment” program is funded by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration and the state’s Mental Health Trust Authority.

In terms of health care, Alaska is deemed to be underserved. Regions off the road system and smaller villages like Talkeetna are suffering from a chronic health care provider shortage. Deb Gray, human resources generalist with the Sunshine Clinic, said that for a small community health clinic it is hard to recruit and retain providers. She said common problems are that a provider wants to come, but the spouse doesn’t. Also, the lack of city amenities such as gyms, shopping malls and movie theatres play a role. Gray said the clinic recently retained a dentist and a new physician assistant.